Communication Quarterly Rockin’ the Gubernatorial Vote?: Young People’s Normative Democratic Attitudes and Behaviors in a Low- Involvement Election

摘要

Research on young voters has identified normative concerns about young citizens’ attitudesrntoward the political process and their low levels of participation. This studyrnexamined the effects of political debates, advertisements, and fact-checking articlesrnon three of these normative attitudes and on intentions to vote in the context of a staterngubernatorial election. Participants’ political knowledge, political information efficacy,rnand intention to vote increased after they watched a political debate or a series ofrncandidate ads. Political knowledge also increased after participants read fact-checkingrnarticles. Cynicism was not influenced by any of the stimuli.